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Real Madrid

Reigning European champions Real Madrid moved into their third successive Champions League final as they edged out Bayern Munich in a thrilling semi-final second leg.

Trailing 2-1 after the first leg in Germany, Bayern needed a win at the Bernabeu to reach the final but it finished 2-2 as Real clinched a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Joshua Kimmich scored early on for the German champions from six yards out, before Karim Benzema headed in for Real from Marcelo's fine left-wing cross eight minutes later.

A second for Benzema, after a horrendous mistake from Bayern goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, put Real in control, although Bayern's on-loan James Rodriguez then scored against his parent club to set up a dramatic finale.

Bayern had chances to win it, but Corentin Tolisso and Thomas Muller's efforts were saved by Keylor Navas and Mats Hummels headed wide as the Spanish side held on.

Real will face either Liverpool or Roma in the final in Kiev, Ukraine, on 26 May with Jurgen Klopp's side leading 5-2 before Wednesday's second leg in Rome.

Real Madrid took control of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich with victory in the first leg at the Allianz Arena.

The holders, attempting to win the competition for the third successive season, struggled defensively but were clinical in attack - and Marcelo and Marco Asensio scored either side of half-time.

Marcelo smashed home a half-volley from the edge of the penalty area to level matters before Asensio capitalised on an error by Rafinha to score a breakaway goal.

Joshua Kimmich had put Bayern in front when he slotted past Keylor Navas at the near post.

The German champions missed a host of chances in an error-strewn encounter, while Real forward Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal ruled out for handball as his run of scoring in every game of this year's competition ended.

Bayern must now score at least twice at the Bernabeu next Tuesday to prevent Real reaching a fourth final in five years.

Real grind it out again

Real have become specialists at progressing through the European knockout rounds in recent seasons, and this win was a perfect example of their ability to grind out results.

The defensive issues which led to a 3-1 defeat in their dramatic quarter-final second leg against Juventus resurfaced in the first half here, and they could have been further behind before Marcelo scored against the run of play.

Manager Zinedine Zidane made a change at half-time - replacing forward Isco with Asensio - but the game initially continued in the same vein.

However, when Rafinha gave the ball away near the halfway line, Lucas Vazquez and Asensio pounced at pace before the latter calmly lifted the ball home.

Real are third in La Liga and have lost twice in Europe already this season - against Spurs and Juventus - but they look well placed to reach yet another final.

They may not look as dominant as in the past two seasons, but they remain on course to become the first team since Bayern in 1976 to win a third successive European Cup.

BALE CLEARLY DOESN'T LOOK HAPPY

We’d hate to throw Bale under the bus but it’s a really, really poor reaction from the Welshman.

Obviously, he wasn’t too happy to spend the entire match on the bench but surely he should be getting behind his side - especially when Cristiano has just scored one of the best goals the Champions League has ever seen.

After the match, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner thanked the Juventus fans for the appreciation they showed him after his incredible strike.

“Obviously people are talking about my second goal....it was a spectacular goal, possibly the best of my career,” he said. “This was one of the nicest moments. To be applauded by the Juventus stadium, where so many great footballers have played, is a top moment for me.

“It's something that stays in your heart...I want to thank all the Italians who were here in the stadium and applauded me.”

Hand to his head, a look of disbelief on his face at what he had just seen, he turned and bellowed his approval. As a player, the Frenchman scored plenty of stunning goals himself in Turin - but what he had just witnessed from Cristiano Ronaldo was special.

Ronaldo's second goal for the Spanish giants in their 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg victory at Juventus was one of the great strikes - the 33-year-old Portuguese rising almost unnaturally high before acrobatically firing the ball into the corner of the net with an incredible bicycle kick.

Seconds after the ball hit the net, the Juve fans followed Zidane's lead, rising to applaud the man who has, in all likelihood, ended their interest in the Champions League for this season.

BBC Radio 5 live's Pat Nevin, who was at the game, was equally stunned. "When the ball comes across to him you think: 'Oh, you're not going to try an overhead kick.' And then, bang! Oh wow! Just see it, watch it," said the former Scotland winger.

"It is unnatural. People are talking about how Ronaldo is getting a bit older now - but there is nothing wrong with that body if he can do that sort of thing. The timing of it is extraordinary, the imagination to do it is extraordinary.

"A lot of the Juventus fans stayed behind to applaud Ronaldo. To turn around this coliseum to his side - wow. Call it genius if you like.

"It is one of the great goals you will see in football."

Ronaldo has scored 19 goals in his past nine games for Real - 25 in his past 13 for club and country.

He has scored 39 goals in 36 games for Real this season - more goals than anyone else who plays in one of Europe's top five leagues (England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain).

The Portuguese has scored in his past 10 Champions League games - all nine this season and last year's final - netting 16 times in that run.

He has scored nine of his past 11 shots on target against legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.

Ronaldo has scored the first Real Madrid goal of a Champions League game in 10 of the past 14 games.

He has scored 22 goals in Champions League quarter-finals, one more than Juventus. Only five teams, including Real Madrid, have scored more.

Ronaldo has either scored (14) or assisted (three) 68% of Real's 25 Champions League goals this season.

He has scored in each of his six games against Juventus - nine goals in total. No player has more against a single opponent in the Champions League.

"It is one of those ones where you just say: 'Oh, you're just egging it up a bit, you're exaggerating for pure commentary purposes,'" added Nevin.

"No, absolutely no. That is one of the great goals you will see… I was going to say Champions League football, but, basically, football.

"Talking about how high his foot is, when he goes for the kick there Mattia de Sciglio is jumping up to head the ball and Ronaldo's foot is above his head. It has to be seven and a half feet.

"I would love to be able to tell you how to score a goal like that, but I never have. But if you don't practise that and you try it in a game you can break your back. You need technique to get up and hit it - but you need to be able to land properly as well. He has all this in his mind and computes it in a millisecond. It is special.

"He knows how to time his form, usually when Real are looking to win something, like the Champions League. He also wants to win that Ballon d'Or. Normal humans don't think along those lines on a football pitch, they think about how to win a game. But he is so far ahead."

BBC World Service's John Bennett said: "I don't think he has scored a better goal than that.

"I remember the Porto one [for Manchester United in 2009]. It is how you judge great goals. The technique for that overhead kick makes it the greatest goal Ronaldo has ever scored."

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon: "Ronaldo is an extraordinary champion. Together with Lionel Messi, he is the only one that punctuates his team's most important victories, and is to be compared to [Diego] Maradona and Pele."

Juve defender Andrea Barzagli: "Cristiano made up the second goal. It's a Playstation goal. When you come up against one of the best in the world like Ronaldo, you need to be perfect. If you give him any space, he'll punish you. He scored a goal that will go down in history - and unfortunately it was against us."

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri: "I don't know if Cristiano's goal is the best in the history of football, but it's certainly an extraordinary goal. You can only congratulate him for what he's doing at present."

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane: "Cristiano Ronaldo is different. He's a different player to everyone else and he always has this desire to do something extraordinary in the Champions League. He never rests on his laurels.